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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. last — finally
  4. bound — certain
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bound — tied together
  8. drill — the tool
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. last — final
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. drill — army training
  22. last — to go on
  23. drill — a practice
  24. racket — a loud noise

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com